hardboiled
by rhaetia
Summary: 2. Vigil: "There's something about having the whole night before you while everyone else is asleep that just puts things in perspective, doesn't it?" — Zuko/Katara; AU. [ZK Week 2015]
1. happenstance

**zk week - day one**

.

 **title:** happenstance

 **summary:** "I think it was fate." he says. She grins at that. "And what is fate, if not a series of random encounters, aciddental bumps and spilled coffee?"

 **rating:** T

 **word count:** 1.775

 **notes:** I'm a little late for the party, but better late than never, right? This didn't turn out the way I wanted, but it's my first time writing this pairing (and also my first time writing fanfiction), so I guess it isn't too bad. I didn't proofread, so feel free to warn me if you find any typos/mistakes!

.

.

.

.

 **i. once is happenstance**

The wind whispers in Zuko's ears, blows his hair in front of his eyes and he is reaching blindly for the front door of the café when she crashes against him. All air leaves his lungs, and when he breathes again, deeply, he smells the ocean. He hears a faint _'Oh, La, I'm so sorry!'_ and turns around to face the stranger, but she's already running, a blur of cobalt blue sweater and black skirt, trying to reach the bus in time. It's one of the girls from his college - Katara, that's her name. He sees her, ocasionally, hanging out with her group of friends between classes. Her brother, a bald kid, a blind girl and a pretty athlete. They seem like an okay group, but Zuko never tried to approach them.

But then again, he doesn't really approach anyone.

He stares for a moment too long, listening to the sound of her boots crashing against the puddles on the street.

Zuko turns around once more and the glass door closes behind him.

(But the smell of the ocean lingers.)

.

* * *

.

 _("You shouldn't just sit around and wait for things to happen to you, Zuko." Iroh says, as he pours tea for both of them and sits_ _cross-legged_ _in front of his nephew. He then takes his cup in both hands, lets the herbal scent engulf him. Takes a sip and gives a contented sigh. "Happiness is often the result of a coincidence, but coincidences only happen to those who happen to be in the right place at the right time."_

 _"What does that even mean?!"_

 _But Iroh just smiles at him over the rim of his teacup, that infuriating smile of his - like he knows a secret and Zuko doesn't._

 _The boy thinks of angry amber eyes, of speaking the wrong thing at the wrong time, of his father's fist coming fast towards his face. The purple bruise around his eye seems to burn._

 _He sets his teacup down with a loud clatter.)_

 _._

* * *

 _._

 **ii. twice is coincidence.**

Zuko can only watch in horror as the coffee cup he was holding slips from his fingers and lands right on the chest of the brown-haired girl. The liquid, a few shades darker than her own skin, spreads through the white fabric of her shirt.

She stares at it with wide eyes, mouth forming a perfect "o".

"Damn it, I'm so sorry, let me just-"

He rackes his brains looking for a solution, a way out of this embarassing situation ( _'why do I always put myself in embarassing situations?_ '). He starts to raise his hands in order to somehow try to clean her shirt, but then stops himself, because that would mean touching her _chest_ \- and that would be _so improper_ \- what the _hell_ was he _thinking_ -

He panics.

It must show on his face, because suddenly there is a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, I'll just ask my brother to bring me another shirt. Might as well give him something to do, right?"

She smiles at him, not only with her lips but also with her eyes, and Zuko can't help thinking what a beautiful colour they are, a deep shade of blue, rich, entrancing.

 _The colour of the ocean._

"Hey, you're the guy I bumped into the other day, aren't you? Sorry about that, I was in a rush."

"You don't need to apologise, I'm the one who just spilled coffee on you."

"Well, I guess I just have to spill a cup of coffee on you too and we're even!"

She laughs, and it's intoxicating, because he finds himself smiling a bit, for the first time since he left his house and came to live with his uncle.

"I'm Katara, by the way."

"Zuko."

He turns around, starts picking up her books from the floor, but the movement makes the left side of his face visible through the curtain of shaggy black hair.

He hands the books over to her, blushes when their fingers touch, and starts walking away quickly.

Three seconds later, he trips.

There's a strangled laugh. Zuko looks back, face turning bright red, the corners of his lips turning upwards ever so slighty in something that is not quite a smile, but could be, if he tried hard enough. He manages to reach the exit without tripping again and she manages to hold back her laughter.

She doesn't ask about the purple staining the pale skin around his left eye.

(Even though she wants to.)

.

* * *

.

 _("So, Pouty is in a good mood today. How unusual." June teases later that day, sitting on the counter while he sweeps the floor of his uncle's teashop. She swings her long legs, making the heels of her shiny black boots hit the wood, and the_ thump-thump-thump _is getting on his nerves._

 _He scowls._

 _"Don't you have work to do?"_

 _She smirks at him, snatching one of the wine bottles. "Already did."_

 _"Stop drinking our beverage!" He holds her wrist with one hand, takes the wine bottle with the other. "We should have fired you already!"_

 _June clicks her tongue in disapproval. "That's why you can't find a girlfriend. No girl wants to be around a rude jerk."_

 _He lets go of her wrist, feels the heat on his cheeks and a caustic remark on the tip of his tongue, but Iroh's chuckle makes them stop._

 _"Well, who knows? Fate is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out." He says, taking the bottle from Zuko's hands and pouring the liquid in three small glasses. "Just remember to keep an open mind... and an open heart."_

 _He doesn't have to look to know June is rolling her eyes._

 _But something about Iroh's words engulfs him like smoke, seeps through his pores and reaches into the back of his mind._

 _Zuko takes his glass of wine and downs it in one gulp.)_

 _._

* * *

 _._

 **iii. three times is fate.**

"I didn't know you worked here."

He turns around too fast. His elbow hits something soft. He hears a muffled grunt and almost drops the tray filled with teacups.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Zuko sets the tray on a nearby table, starts to rearrange the cups to keep his hands busy. "It's alright, it's just - I'm not used to having people visiting me here." He looks down.

"Oh." her voice is soft. "That's a shame."

They stay silent for a moment.

It's late afternoon. There are still a few costumers enjoying the place. A girl sits alone on the table in the corner, teacup in one hand and a large book in the other. There's a couple on the table by the window, holding each other's hands and laughing quietly. Iroh is playing pai sho with one of his many white-haired friends. Nobody is really paying attention to the young duo.

"It's a good thing you didn't spilled tea on my clothes, though." she finally says, narrowing her eyes. "Or I might think you're bumping into me on purpose."

He looks shocked. His eyes widen - even the swollen one - and Katara fights back the urge to laugh.

"I'm not, I swear!"

"I know, I was just making a joke."

He looks visibly relieved, and runs a hand through his hair. "You're not very good at joking." he mutters.

She smiles at him, a perfect row of bright white teeth. "Well, humour is usually my brother's thing."

Then June is setting two cups of coffee on the table, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. "Here, Pouty. It's on the house for you and your girlfriend."

The muscle in Zuko's jaw twitches. Katara's face is a bright tone of red.

"She's not -"

"We're not -"

But June just waves their complaints off, all leather and swaying hips while she walks away. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you guys say."

They drink in silence after that.

The warmth of the cup in his hands is nothing compared to the warmth on his face, and he probably would be plotting a way to get back at June for embarassing him if Katara's eyes weren't so distracting. They were like waves, pulling you in and taking you away.

"I guess - ah..." He starts, getting up and retrieving his tray. "I should probably get back to work."

"Oh." She looks at him for a second too long, and he can't tell if it's his imagination or if she really looks a bit disappointed. "Okay. Thanks for the free coffee."

She turns around to leave.

He looks around the room, and his gaze meets Iroh's. He can almost hear his uncle's voice, clear and loud in his head.

 _Happiness is often the result of a coincidence._

 _Remember to keep an open mind..._

 _and an open heart._

She is reaching for the door when he calls her name.

"Katara?"

She turns around. Sees insecurity and hope fighting inside him. Waits patiently for the result.

"Yes?"

"See you tomorrow?"

The girl smiles at him once more, a perfect row of bright white teeth. "Sure."

(Observing from the far left corner of the room, Iroh smiles too.)

.

* * *

.

 _(Katara runs her thumb over the skin under Zuko's left eye, inspects what is left of the fading purple stain._

 _"See? I told you." She says, letting her hand drop until it found his. "Bruises heal."_

 _"Took forever." He scowls, leaning forward and standing inches away from the mirror. "And it's still a bit purple near my nose!"_

 _"It takes longer for some people, but bruises always disappear eventually." She says, dragging him away from the bathroom and ignoring his complaints. "And what did you expect? You're just too pale!"_

 _He makes an undignified noise and frowns at her. "I am not!"_

 _But she just laughs and sinks into the bed, pulling him with her._

 _Zuko stares at the ceiling for some time, then looks at their entwined fingers._

 _"Such a coincidence, isn't it?"_

 _Katara props herself up in one elbow to look at him._

 _"What is?"_

 _"That of all people, the two of us ended up together."_

 _She snorts. "It's not like we had a choice, we just kept bumping into each other."_

 _He laughs, and wonders briefly: when did laughing become so easy?_

 _Of course, he already knows the answer._

 _"I think it was fate." he says._

 _She grins at that. "And what is fate, if not a series of random encounters, aciddental bumps and spilled coffee?"_

 _For a moment, he swears he can hear waves crashing against the shore, washing everything away.)_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 **notes:** I'll be posting days 2 and 3 tomorrow. thanks for reading!


	2. vigil

**zk** **week - day two**

.

 **title:** vigil

 **summary:** "There's something about having the whole night ahead of you while everyone else is asleep that just puts things in perspective, doesn't it?"

 **rating:** T

 **word count:** 1.026

 **notes:** I'm terrible with deadlines. Ugh. But here's my (ridiculously late) contribution. Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter, they're highly appreciated!

.

.

.

.

It's a cold night. The stars shine above, competing with the city lights bellow.

Katara leans against the railing, feeling a small shiver go down her spine. Takes a deep breath, closes her eyes for a moment.

The rooftop is her favourite place in the whole hospital. Usually, she doesn't have much free time during her shifts (it seems to her that the weirdest cases always happen during the night shift), but then, very rarely, there are nights like this, in which she wanders through the sterile corridors, restlessly and aimlessly, with a cup of coffee in her hands.

In nights like this, she goes to the rooftop.

It's quiet and secluded, a place where she can rest without being bothered, organize her thoughts, prepare herself for another day.

Taking care of people's lives isn't an easy job.

(No matter how hard you try, you can't save everybody.)

Katara hears noise behind her. She whips her head back, and there's a guy on the doorway that leads to the rooftop, hand still over the handle.

He's one of the patients - Zuko. Came in during the afternoon with second-degree burns on both hands and a concussion. He is sickly pale, black hair sticking out in every possible direction. There's a blanket over his shoulders and his eyes widen when he sees her. The sight reminds Katara of young children, coming into their parents' room after having a nightmare.

"Oh - I'm sorry, I didn't know there was someone here." He takes a step back, cautiously, and starts to leave. "I'll just -"

"Wait a sec." she says, crossing her arms.

He stops.

She then proceeds to use what Sokka likes to call The Angry Motherly Voice. "You _really_ shouldn't be out of your room."

Zuko shifts his weight nervously. He looks at the space next to her when he speaks, voice so low that she almost doesn't catch the words. "I couldn't sleep."

Katara's eyes narrow a fraction. She surveys him - he can't be much older than she is ( _'a couple of years, maybe?'_ ), but there's something about his face that tells her that he has seen too much. It's not just the scar - red and angry, covering a big area of the left side of his face - but it's mostly his eyes. Anger and sadness and loneliness trapped in amber.

He looks like someone who keeps watch at night, trying to keep the ghosts at bay.

(She knows all about ghosts that keep you awake at night.)

Finally, she uncrosses her arms, lets out a loud sigh and leans against the railing again. "Alright, you can stay."

He hesitates for a second. Then she hears soft footsteps approaching, until they stop at her side.

They stay silent for a moment.

Katara clears her throat. "So, how did you end up here?" she asks.

He looks taken aback, then frowns. "Well, I followed this long corridor and found the stairs-"

"No, no, not the rooftop." she shakes her head, the corners of her lips turning upwards in amusement. "I mean, how did you end up in the hospital."

He sighs, glances up at the sky. "It's complicated."

"Oh, come on. You can tell me."

Amber eyes stare at her for what seems like an eternity. He opens his mouth, closes it again, looks away. "There was a family argument, and things escalated quickly." he says simply.

"Is that how you got your scar?"

She regrets the question the moment it leaves her mouth.

It wasn't on purpose. Toph always says that she likes to pry on other people's lives, but Katara is just a curious, well-meaning person who doesn't always think before speaking.

She notices how his shoulders tense, the way his bandaged hands grip the cold metal of the railing, his mouth pressed in a thin line.

"I'm sorry, I really - it's none of my business."

The silence is suffocating, but she is too afraid to speak and make things worse.

"Yes." he says eventually, voice low. "That's how I got my scar."

The moon casts a silver glow to his skin, making the dark circles under his eyes stand out. She doesn't ask further. Doesn't dare to.

Katara tucks a strand of brown hair behind her ear, touches the necklace that rests against her skin. She has a flash of memory.

(Flames burning so bright they almost blind her - her mother's voice, urging her to run, telling her that it would be okay - and the scent of burnt flesh -)

"My mother died in a fire when I was younger." she blurts out. "I couldn't save her."

She doesn't know why she said it. She hasn't spoken about her mother's death to anyone in a long time. And still, saying the words out loud to this guy she just met on a rooftop at 2 a.m., she feels a heavy weigh being lifted off her shoulders.

There's a feather light touch on her hand. She looks at him, and there's an openness to his features, kindness, understanding.

"I lost my mother too."

A cold breeze hits her, and she shivers, wraps her arms around herself.

Zuko takes his blanket in both hands, starts to raise his arms, but then stops, shifts his weight awkwardly.

"Uh - we can share my blanket, if that's alright with you, Doctor."

She smiles, just a bit. "You can call me Katara."

They stand close, the blanket draped over their shoulders. He seems to emanate warmth, and Katara is grateful for that.

She looks down, watches the cars coming and going, nothing more than blurs of colour so far below.

"One of the things that I like about coming up here is that all the problems we have seem small, even if just for a moment."

He hums in agreement, looking up at the sky. "There's something about having the whole night ahead of you while everyone else is asleep that just puts things in perspective, doesn't it?"

Their gazes meet, and Katara knows deep in her bones that they won't need to watch for ghosts, not tonight.

(The moon watches over them.)

.

.

.

.

 **notes:** the rest of the one-shots will arrive late too, so bear with me, people


End file.
